20 Book Series to Get Your Kids Hooked on History

It usually starts innocently. I’ll be working on my homeschool lesson plans and come across a book — usually from a series — that works well with the topic we’re covering in history at the time. In no time at all, my son is hooked. He blows through the entire series because he can’t get enough. Let’s face it, though, there are way worse things to be dealing with. I’ll gladly take a kid who’s hooked on history and a series of books over the other options.

Maybe you’re looking for history books for your kids or maybe you’ve just got a series aficionado on your hands like I do. Either way, this list of history book series for kids is full of reasons to make a trip to your local library (or a trip to Amazon if you’re like me and your small-town library can’t always support your kiddo’s book habit).

History Book Series for Kids

1. Who Was … ?

We’ve turned to the Who Was…? biography series time and time again and it never disappoints. We’ve used some of these as read-alouds, but my nine year-old has been reading them on his own for a few years now. The series covers all sorts of key figures in history, but there are also What Was…?books that cover key historical events.

2. The Childhood of Famous Americans Series

What sets these books apart from other biography books for kids is that they focus on the childhoods of famous Americans. These are some of my kiddo’s favorite history books!

3. Blast to the Past Series

We’ve recently discovered these Blast to the Past books and are loving them! Think fiction meets history, but not in a historical fiction way. Instead, modern characters step back into historical moments and help key figures face various problems.

4. Magic Tree House

There’s no way I could leave Jack and Annie off of a list of history books for kids! Like the Blast to the Past series, Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House focuses on the adventures of modern kids who magically travel to all kinds of places and times.

There are more than fifty of these fun and surprisingly educational books. If your kids are the kind to get hooked on a series, Magic Tree House would keep them busy for a long, long time!

5. Dear America

The Dear America books are journal-style books written from the perspective of a child from various points in history.

6. My America

These My America books are considered a part of the Dear America series, but are still categorized separately (or at least they are at all of our libraries!). They’re also journal-style books that help kids step inside the lives of other children throughout history.

7. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker

We love Magic Tree House Fact Trackers! These are non-fiction books that go along with the Magic Tree House adventures and they’ve been a huge part of our homeschool history. They’re not just for supplementing history topics, though! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found my son reading these for fun.

8. If You Lived …

These If You Lived… books are exactly what the title implies: what it was like to live with specific people groups or to live during certain points in history. We used these books quite a bit in our early elementary years and loved the fact that they were easily found at our local libraries.

9. Landmark Books

TheLandmark Books series is an older living book series that primarily covers events in American history.

10. The Little House Collection

If you’re looking for a series that highlights life in the American Midwest during the 1800s, there’s no better choice than the Little House collection!

11. The American Girls Collection

While my daughter isn’t quite old enough to get into these American Girls books, I can easily see them becoming a staple in our reading time at some point. This huge collection is divided into smaller collections based on the life of an American Girl character. Within each smaller collection, readers get to experience what life was like in the United States during various points of history.

12. You Wouldn’t Want To Be Series

The You Wouldn’t Want to Be books are non-fiction history books for kids who don’t love history (and certainly those who do love it as well)! The graphics are great, the information is engaging, and the overall approach is fantastic. If you haven’t checked into this series yet, you’re missing some fun stuff!

13. Heroes of History

This Heroes of History biography series is told from a narrative perspective and is a favorite among many families I know. If you’re looking for a biography series that appeals to your entire family, this is the one to consider.

14. Trailblazers

15. Adventures in Odyssey: Imagination Station

These Adventures in Odyssey books are some of our favorites. Readers will voyage with vikings, visit the Roman Colosseum, and even come face to face with one of Herod’s soldiers on the night of Christ’s birth over the course of this series.

16. 101 History Facts Series

I stumbled upon this 101 History Facts series while exploring my Kindle options, but I’ve been surprised by how much we’ve enjoyed it. These books are reasonably priced and have lots of great topical information and resources.

17. For Kids Series

This For Kids series digs into history like no others on this list of history books for kids. Not only does it give biographical information for person or event showcased, it also includes activities and suggestions for further learning and exploration. We love these books!

18. Religious Heritage Series

We started reading these living books from Louise Vernon’s Religious Heritage series last year and learned so much through them. This historical fiction series is a wonderful way to gain understanding of the lives of several heroes of the Christian faith.

This is a good list! Our son loves the Magic Treehouse, and the I Survived series. I started reading the American Girls in 1988 or so, and of course had the Little House books before that. So pleased to see them on this list.

Last year, I started reading the Rush Revere series to our son, who is now 8. They’re so fun, and we are both totally in to them. Now he listens to the CD version every night as he falls asleep. Please check them out!!

Great list! Thank you! I have a question for you: Are there are any of these that would be best for my 7-year-old to read on her own? She is a pretty good reader but would struggle with some that are a little more advanced. I find it difficult to find historical fiction at her level.

I would check your library for the Magic Tree House books. The earlier ones in the series are shorter and easier to read than the more recent ones. They aren’t exactly historical fiction, but do a great job of mixing fun and history (and science too). Magictreehouse.com has lots of fun games and teacher activities to go along with the books and could be great incentive to get started with them. Hope this helps!

I second the recommendation for the Rush Revere books. We started the year with a curriculum that was supposed to cover all of American history but added in the Rush Revere books and spent almost the entire year studying the Revolutionary war period. So much fun!!

Have you looked into All American History from Bright Ideas Press? That’s where I would start with American history for that level. I don’t know of any book series that would fit this criteria, but I’ll update you if I come across some!

We just discovered the Time Warp Trio. A bit like Magic Tree House. Three friends get a magic book that transports them back in time. There are a numer of titles in the series. Also Blast From the Past. It is a non-fiction series but the picture are fun and the material is concise and accesible especially for youngest
My 8 and 6yr old loved the one we read about ancient Egypt.

You have some great suggestions here. If you would like a series that focuses on learning about historic places and monuments that makes learning about history fun, check out my Little Miss HISTORY Travels to…nonfiction picture book series at http://Littlemisshistory.com It’s available online at amazon, barnes & noble and Walmart and in many local bookstores.

My Middle schooler loved the wicked history books and in turn the Horrible Histories books and on-line site. Please note these books are for older children and you may want to read them first if you are concerned about content.

Great list of history books. We are reading through the Little House books with my five-year-old. She loves listening to the adventures of Laura and her family. My daughter also loves the American Girls Collection. Thank you for some other series ideas!

Hi Janet, that’s a fun idea! The first ones that pop into my head for little ones is the Ordinary People Change the World Series. (They’re #19 on this list.) There’s also a similar series to that one called Little People, Big Dreams. Those are listed for preschool to early elementary, but that’s not to say that a little one wouldn’t enjoy them!

Emily thank you for this great list!! My daughter’s favorite books are historical fiction and this list gave me some new ideas. My oldest boy loves history too. One of our favorite series is called the American Adventure Series (Christian based), I believe there are around 30 books. For younger children the You Choose books are wonderful, my 8 year old son loves them. some of his favorites are The Titanic, The Revolutionary War and the Civil War..

Thanks so much for these book ideas! I bought 2 off your list already. My son enjoys history but it has to be presented in an entertaining way for him to read on his own. I found a couple that I think he’ll like!

One series I loved when I was young — but I don’t think it’s in print anymore — is the Value Of books. My dad bought me a set and I read them over and over.